Regina King knows all the actorly shortcuts, which isn’t surprising as she has four Emmys, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award under her belt. “There were so many times I would try to do little actor tricks to try and get to moments, or to try to manufacture certain situations, and she was just so sharp,” says Eli Goree, who plays a young Muhammad Ali in King’s feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami. “It was like with your parents—you can never get away with nothing, because they've done it all before. She's just like, ‘Just stop, listen. Trust the words, trust the script, trust the other actors, trust yourself, and in those moments when things are supposed to be special, it'll happen, if you're honest and if you're invested in the work.’”